Drop hammer



May l, 1934- F. J. vLcHEK 1,956,885

DROP HAMMER Filed DeC. 22, 1930 s jl-@eg j hmlumf Patented May 1, 1934 UNTED STATES DRP HAMIWER Frank J. Vlchek, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to The Vlchek Tool Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ghio Application December 22, 1980, Serial No. 508,971

14 Claims.

'This 'invention relates to -jdrop hammers, more particularly to connecting devices for securing a drop hammer head to tail piece means, and has for an object the provision of new and improved 5 devices of this character.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assumnd in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of drop hammer disclosing one embodiment of the -linvention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view corresponding to the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view corresponding to the line 8-8 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View corresponding to the line 4-4 of Figure 8, while Figure 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional View of a portion of the wedge means of said embodiment.

As shown the embodiment comprises a hammer head mounted for vertical reciprocation in guides 11, having tail piece means 12 adapted to be acted upon by operating mechanism 13 which lifts and drops the hammer head 10 through engagement and release of the tail piece means 12.

The hammer head 10 has a rectangular portion 14 provided in its upper surface with an elongated rectangular recess 15 having vertically V extending end walls 16, and side walls 1'? of the latter provided with a laterally and downwardly diverging undercut portion 18. Extending into the recess 15 are the tail piece means 12, in this embodiment comprising a pair of tail pieces 19 and 20, alike in all respects, each polygonal in cross section defining angularly disposed flat sides providing wedge surfaces 21 and 22, and the corners of each tail piece are truncated as indicated at 23. Disposed between the tail pieces 19 and 20, within the recess 15, are wedge means comprising a pair of wedge shoes 24, substantially triangular in cross section and oppositely disposed with their apices extending inwardly, each having wedge surfaces 25 adapted to engage the wedge surfaces 2l of the tail piece members 19 and 29 and each having a slanting surface 26 adapted to engage the undercut portion 18 in the adjacent side wall 17, and a plurality of shims 27 may be interi posed between the surfaces 26 and undercut portion 18 at opposite sides of the wedges 24 for tak- 1ng up wear.

Arranged in one corner portion of the recess 15 are wedge means 29 comprising a wedge 8O substantially semi-circular in cross section movably accommodated in a semi-circular vertically extending corner recess 28, having an angular extension 81 by means of which the wedge 30 may be driven or extracted, and further provided with a downwardly tapered wedge surface 82 adapted to engage the wedge surface 88 of a wedge shoe 34 having an engaging surface 85 disposed in engagement with an adjacent Wedge surface 22 of the adjacent tail piece 19, and between the wedge surface 82 of the wedge 80 and the engaging surface 88 of the wedge shoe 84 are disposed shims 90 for taking up wear. The other corner at the same end of the recess l5 is also provided with a semi-circular recess 86 accommodating wedge means 87 identical to the wedge means 29 and bearing upon the adjacent wedge surface 22 of the tail piece 19. Both corners at the opposite end of the recess l5 are provided with semi-circular recesses 88 and 39, respectively accommodating wedge means 40 and 4l identical to the wedge means 29, and engageable with the outer Wedge surfaces 22 of the tail piece 20.

In securing the tail piece means to the hammer head 10 the tail pieces 19 and 20 are inserted at opposite sides of the shoes 24, and the wedge means 29, 87, 40, and 41 and shims 90 are inserted in the respective corner recesses 28, 36, 88, and 39, after which the wedges 80 of each of said wedge means 29, 87, 40, and 4l are driven downwardly, bringing about wedging engagement of the shoes 84 with the tail pieces 19 and 20, forcing the tail pieces 19 and 29 inwardly toward each other, and through the wedge surfaces 21 of the tail pieces 19 and 20 spreading the wedge shoes 24 laterally and forcing them into engagement with the undercut portionsl 18 at opposite sides of the recess, all of the wedge means, of course frictionally engaging adjacent portions of the tail pieces 19 and 20 and the walls defining the recess 15, and thereby securing the tail pieces to the hammer head. The wedge 80 of each of the wedge means 29, 87, 40 and 41, is free to rotate in its corresponding semi-circular recess while being driven to position, and hence both the wedge 105 80 and its cooperating shoe 34 may turn and automatically adjust themselves to lie flat against the corresponding flat surfaces 22 of the tail pieces 19 and 20, thus compensating for variations in the disposition of the polygonal sides of llO the tail pieces 19 and 20 likely to be present in actual practice.

It will be apparent that the tail pieces 19 and 20 operate as part of the wedge means, are secured by wedge means which automatically adjust themselves to the contour of the tail pieces 19 and 20 and at the same time position said tail pieces, yet are prevented from leaving the recess due to engagement of the wedge shoes 24 with the undercut portions 18 of the hammer head and interaction with the wedge means 29, 37, 40, and 41; whereby the tail pieces 19 and 20 are securely fastened to the hammer head, yet may be quickly and easily detached and assembled when the tail pieces 19 and 20 need replacement, the shims 27 and 90 of course permitting wear to be taken up as required.

It will be apparent that the embodiment herein described accomplishes at least the principal object of the invention, and further that said embodiment has advantages and uses other than those particularly referred to, and it will also be understood that various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; accordingly the embodiment herein described is illustrative only and the invention is not limited thereto,

I claim:

1. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein provided with an under cut Wall; an attachable member extending Vinto said recess; a first member disposedin said recess and provided with an inclined surface for engagement with the under cut wall of said recess and with a toothed surface for engagement with said attachable member; a second member mounted in said recess and provided with a toothed surface and a Wedging surface, said toothed surface engaging said attachable member; and a wedge mounted in said recess and having a wedging surface for engagement with the wedging surface of said second member for forcing the toothed surfaces of said first and second members into interlocking engagement with said attachable member; said wedge being mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of its wedging movement when forced into said recess, to adjust the wedging surfacethereof into parallelism with the wedging surface of lsaid `'second member.

2. A connected unit, comprising: a vmember having a recess therein provided with an undercut Wall; an attachable member extending into said recess; first wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with the undercut Wall -of said recess and one side surface of said attachable member; second wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with another side `surface of said attachable member; 4and 'third wedge v:means disposed in said recess engageable with said second wedge means and the adjacent wall 4oi said recess, whereby said wedge means cooperate to secure said attachable member and recessed member together.

3. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein; a plurality of attachable members, polygonal in cross-section, extending into said recess; wedge means disposed in said recess and engageable with a wall thereof and with said attachable members; and wedge means disposed in said recess between said attachable members, engageable'with a `wall of 'said recess and with the adjacent'attachable members; said wedge means cooperating to secure said recessed member and attachable members-together.

4. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein provided with an undercut wall; a plurality of attachable members, polygonal in cross-section, extending into said recess; wedge means disposed in said recess and engageable with a wall thereof and with said attachable members; and wedge means disposed in said recess between said attachable members, engageable with the undercut wall of said recess and with the adjacent attachable members; said wedge means cooperating to secure said recessed member and attachable members together.

5. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein; a plurality of attachable members, polygonal in cross-section, extending into said recess; rst wedge means disposed in said recess between said attachable members and engageable with a wall of said recess and with the adjacent side surfaces of said attachable members; second wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with other side surfaces of said attachable members; and third wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with said second wedge means and the adjacent wall of said recess whereby said wedge means cooperate to secure said attachable members and recessed member together.

5. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein provided with an undercut wall; a plurality of attachable members, polygonal in cross-section, extending into said recess; first wedge means disposed in said recess between said attachable members and engageable withthe undercut wall of said recess and with the adjacent side surfaces of said attachable members; second wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with other side surfaces of said attachable members; and third wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with said second wedge-means and the adjacent wall of said recess, whereby said wedge means cooperate to secure said'attachable members and recessed member together.

7. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein; an attachable member extending into said recess; a plurality of first wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with walls of said recess and with side surfaces of said attachable member; a plurality of second wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with other side surfaces of said attachable member; and a plurality of third wedge means disposed in said recess engageable with said second wedge means and the adjacent walls of said recess; said wedge means being operable to exert pressure on said attachable member in different directions, whereby said wedge means cooperate to secure said attachable member and recessed member together.

8. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein provided with a plurality of undercut Walls; an attachable member extending into said recess; a plurality of first Wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable with an undercut wall of said recess and with a side surface of said attachable member; a plurality of second wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable with other side surfaces of said attachable member; and a plurality of third wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable With-oneof said second wedge means and the'adjacent wall of said recess; said wedge means being operable to Aexert pressure on -said attachable member sin different directions to secure saidattachable member and recessed member together, and some of said wedge means being mounted for adjustment with respect to each other to conform to the contour of said attachable member.

9. A connected unit, comprising: a member having a recess therein provided with a plurality of undercut walls; an attachable member, polygnal in cross-section, extending into said recess; a plurality of first wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable with an undercut wall of said recess and with a side surface of said attachable member; a plurality of second wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable with other side surfaces of said attachable member; and a plurality of third wedge means disposed in said recess each engageable with one of said second wedge means and the adjacent wall of said recess; said wedge means being operable to exert pressure on said attachable member in different directions to secure said recessed member and attachable member together.

10. A connected unit, comprising: a member provided with a recess having a reduced entrance; an attachable member loosely extended into said recess; wedge means having elements at different sides of said attachable member and together with said attachable member forming within said recess a base larger than the entrance to said recess; and means interposed between each of said elements and said attachable member for preventing slippage therebetween.

11. A connected unit, comprising: an attachable member having at least two pairs of opposed side surfaces; a member having a recess for the reception of said attachable member, and having undercut portions adjacent two side surfaces of said attachable member; iirst wedge means seated in said undercut portions and bearing upon side surfaces of said attachable member adjacent said wedge means; and another wedge means bearing upon side surfaces of said attachable member in a direction opposed to said first wedge means, and cooperating with said rst wedge means to prevent movement of the attachable member in all directions.

12. A connected unit, comprising: an attachable member having at least two pairs of opposed side surfaces; a member having a recess for the reception of said attachable member and having an undercut portion; rst wedge means having a portion thereof seated in said undercut portion and bearing upon side surfaces of said attachable member adjacent said Wedge means; and another wedge means bearing upon side surfaces of said attachable member in a direction opposed to said rst wedge means, and cooperable with said rst wedge means to prevent movement of the attachable member in all directions.

13. A connected unit, comprising: a member provided with a recess; an attachable member, polygonal in cross-section, loosely extended into said recess; and a plurality of wedge means bearing toward a plurality of different sides of said attachable member, and so constructed and arranged as to provide for rotary motion in the recess with respect to each other and with respect to said attachable member, for adjusting said wedge means with reference to said attachable member.

14. A connected unit, comprising: a member provided with a recess; a pair of attachable members extended into said recess; wedge means in said recess disposed between said attachable members and engaging the inner adjacent surfaces thereof; and additional wedge means in said recess arranged on the outer sides of said attachable members and engaging the outer remote surfaces thereof; all of said wedge means cooperating with said attachable members to secure the same in said recess.

FRANK J. VLCHEK. 

